Travel with Pets - Which airline has best (flying with puppy) long haul economy seats/service??

I did a search and couldn't find exactly what I was searching for, so I started a new thread.

Anyways, I'm going to be traveling to London in September, and on the flight back, I will have to be in economy, as I will have a puppy with me.

Which airlines allow animals in cabin, and have good seats? I've heard that Virgin Airlines is good, but the person who told me wasn't sure if pets were aloud in cabin. I also heard that Delta will have economy comfort by then, are animals aloud under those seats?

Where are you starting from?

You may want to post in the Travel With Pets forum. Otherwise, in answer to the question posed in your thread title, and that alone, my vote would be NZ.

Just flied for the first time Delta, Continental, and US air.

I've flown with United and Air Canada for a while now.

I would rate Air Canada first (baggage included, and free headphones last time out, polite), Continental second (seems to go that extra mile, and didn't charge me $5 for a plastic bag so that I can transport the baby car seat), United third (very friendly, could also tie for second), and Delta last (had a good experience, but they sort of nickle and dime you to death.. they are orderly, and I don't mind flying with them once again).

Where are you starting from?

Edit: Sorry, read that wrong! I will be starting in ESC, a really small airport in michigan, but I'm getting the puppy in London, and will be flying out of Heathrow.

I hope that clears things up :)

Please continue to follow this thread in the Travel With Pets Forum.
Thanks...
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

The UK does not permit pets to be carried in the cabin on commercial flights departing there. If your puppy is a service animal however (it must be certified as such by one of the UK approved bodies) it will be permitted in the cabin when flying from selected airports.

...will be flying out of Heathrow. Ah, then, as B747-437B says, your puppy wouldn't be allowed in cabin. If the dog is not a service animal and its safety is as important as you suggest, you might want to explore taking a train across to Paris or Amsterdam and flying home from there.

I know I have been in a Lufthansa business class cabin ex-FRA which also contained a dog-in-a-box that went like this for nine hours: yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip. My enthusiasm for pets evaporated somewhere over Newfoundland.

Ah, then, as B747-437B says, your puppy wouldn't be allowed in cabin. If the dog is not a service animal and its safety is as important as you suggest, you might want to explore taking a train across to Paris or Amsterdam and flying home from there.

I know I have been in a Lufthansa business class cabin ex-FRA which also contained a dog-in-a-box that went like this for nine hours: yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip. My enthusiasm for pets evaporated somewhere over Newfoundland.

Really?? :(

I called Delta a couple weeks ago, when researching some airlines, and they said they allow pets in cabin coming from the UK, but not to the UK. I think I'll have to find another airport/airline then.

Thanks for the advice!!

:)

Just flied for the first time Delta, Continental, and US air.

I've flown with United and Air Canada for a while now.

I would rate Air Canada first (baggage included, and free headphones last time out, polite), Continental second (seems to go that extra mile, and didn't charge me $5 for a plastic bag so that I can transport the baby car seat), United third (very friendly, could also tie for second), and Delta last (had a good experience, but they sort of nickle and dime you to death.. they are orderly, and I don't mind flying with them once again).

Thank you so much!!

:)

I called Delta a couple weeks ago, when researching some airlines, and they said they allow pets in cabin coming from the UK, but not to the UK.

UK-certified SERVICE ANIMALS are permitted in the cabin when departing from a UK airport, but they are required to be shipped as cargo when flying into the UK. Pet animals however are not permitted either in the cabin or as checked luggage either to/from the UK.

Ah, then, as B747-437B says, your puppy wouldn't be allowed in cabin. If the dog is not a service animal and its safety is as important as you suggest, you might want to explore taking a train across to Paris or Amsterdam and flying home from there.


Definitely take the train to Paris and avoid the hassle! @:-)

Definitely take the train to Paris and avoid the hassle!

Easy to do this in one day, leaving London at breakfast time:

1. Eurostar train from London St. Pancras to Paris / Gare du Nord. Takes about three hours.

2. Paris RER from Gare du Nord to CDG / Roissy. Takes about 30 minutes.

3. Delta / AF CDG-DTW-ESC. DL has a 135p departure from CDG (Air France metal), arriving DTW 420p. Should be an easy connect to DL3817 departing DTW at 720p for Escanaba.

I stand corrected on taking a pet on the Eurostar train. This is from their website:

Pets
We’re delighted to be able to tell you that registered assistance dogs are accepted on board. Unfortunately, these are the only animals that can travel on Eurostar: elephants, cobras and foxes are all still a definite no, no.

I stand corrected on taking a pet on the Eurostar train. This is from their website:

Pets
We’re delighted to be able to tell you that registered assistance dogs are accepted on board. Unfortunately, these are the only animals that can travel on Eurostar: elephants, cobras and foxes are all still a definite no, no.


Aargh. That's terrible. Ferry then?

Thank you all so much! You have all been extremely helpful! :)

So, I just need to find a way to Paris? The puppy really needs to be in cabin with me, she's a french bulldog, one of the stub nosed breeds, and I want to make sure she'll be ok on the flight.

I'll look into the ferry, thanks for the suggestion :)

How long is a flight from LHR to Paris? If it's a really short flight, do you think the puppy would be ok in checked/cargo for that flight, as long as I got it a slightly larger kennel than necessary, and then ride with me in cabin for the rest of the trip? I will be looking into the ferry first, but if they don't allow pets, then I might have to look into flying to Paris.

I know I have been in a Lufthansa business class cabin ex-FRA which also contained a dog-in-a-box that went like this for nine hours: yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip. My enthusiasm for pets evaporated somewhere over Newfoundland.

That is why I asked my breeder in The Netherlands to have my puppy spend some time in a dog box (breeder called it a "cat box") so he wouldn't be stressed on the flight. He slept through both flights (AMS-ZRH, ZRH-ORD) and always sleeps during car rides, now. He didn't like the two hour train ride to Schiphol. But as it was 11pm, I let him ride on my lap.

All breeders should crate train a puppy before it goes to its new home.

I'll look into the ferry, thanks for the suggestion :)


This page should help you...

http://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-travel.htm#pets

Looks like Option 3 is your best bet.

One of my pups just travelled from LHR to DEN at 8 weeks of age. The only airline we could find that would accept the pup in cabin was LH. So the pup flew LHR - FRA - DEN. However do bear in mind that you can't travel between EU countries without the pup having a EU Pet Passport. If the pup is under 3 months of age then there are certain EU countries that will accept the pup without a rabies shot. Not all will allow this, but Germany is one that does.

A Pet Passport was issued in the UK with a statement from the vet that the pup was too young for a rabies shot. If the pup is over 3 months then a rabies shot is required. The pup also required a microchip with the number written in the passport as it has to be officially identifiable. One of the issues was faced was finding a vet that would issue a Pet Passport without a rabies shot as this is not usual in the UK. We fixed this by obtaining an email from a German official veterinarian stating that a rabies shot was not required. LH checked the Pet Passport at LHR and also weighed the bag with the pup in it but there were no checks made at FRA. LH also required a health certificate that was also issued by the vet.

If you want to check the pup as checked baggage then Icelandair and Air Canada will accept pups as checked baggage from the UK but none of the US airlines seem to allow it. Other than that your only option is cargo.

for the person that was taking a puppy into france from the uk via train, there are new rules for dogs and France. They do not allow any dogs under 3 months into or passing through, without the rabies vaccination, and if the puppy/dog has had the 1st vaccination only, he can not enter France until 21 days after the 1st rabies vaccination, which would mean the puppy would be 3 months and 21 days old before being allowed into france You do NOT want to vaccinate a puppy before 12 weeks. Thats crazy. this is new, you used to be able to travel with a puppy, under 12 weeks, without the rabies vaccination (vets do not want to give a puppy less than 12 wks a rabies vaccination, (it is dangerous, and unecessary) Not France has changed their policy to no dog under 3 months allowed without the rabies vaccination. I just had to change my flight from Italy with a new puppy 10 wks old, and no rabies vaccination. We were flying AF with a stop in Paris, then on to Houston. we are now flying KLM from Italy via Amsterdam.
JK